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We have to keep in mind that this is an Asian zombie film, never really designed for a Western audience. It explores topics, beliefs, and practices that may feel unfamiliar - even confusing - to many viewers. One of the reasons I enjoy Asian zombie films is that nothing is sacred; they don't shy away from showing women or children being attacked, sometimes to a level of extreme gore that Western films rarely touch. Western zombie movies tend to romanticize the horror, but here, everyone is truly equal prey. And speaking of gore, this film delivers it in spades - blood, guts, torn limbs, and rotting flesh. You might want to choose your movie snacks carefully.

The zombies themselves are also different from what we're used to. I've always liked the way Asian horror films handle "the wake-up moment" of the undead, and this film uses a similar approach. But these zombies go further - they regain consciousness, fragments of memory, and even the ability to communicate, at least sporadically. Other times, they're just mindless creatures growling and munching on entrails. Interestingly, their intelligence is reflected in their eyes: the more intelligent ones have solid-colored eyes (where both color and iris size seem to matter), while the less intelligent have one red and one blue eye, making them look more comical than frightening. The idea of a "conscious zombie" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's an intriguing twist.

The runtime isn't very long, but honestly, a shorter cut might have worked better. The pacing swings wildly - some scenes are packed with action, while others drag to the point of being boring, far more than I expected after seeing the trailer. When the zombies spoke, it felt reminiscent of the apes in Planet of the Apes - though far less compelling. There's also a fair amount of filler content - scenes that seem there only to pad the runtime. And while the moment with one of the soldiers covering himself in mud felt like a fun nod to Schwarzenegger in Predator, it also felt a bit out of place. And what about the extreme flammability of zombies?

All that said, Operation Undead is still a fairly watchable movie, and if you're a devoted zombie-horror fan, I'd recommend giving it a try. Just remember: don't compare it too directly to Western zombie films. Asian horror has always leaned more heavily on spiritual and paranormal elements, even in creature features. Some Korean films, like Train to Busan, are more Western-oriented exceptions, but this Thai film takes a distinctly different approach - and that's part of what makes it unique.

Alien: Resurrection - the fourth installment in the Alien saga - faced an almost impossible challenge: fixing the irreversible mistakes of Alien³, especially its disastrous ending that nearly killed the franchise. Yet, somehow, the director managed to deliver a surprisingly engaging and even satisfying solution. At the same time, the film introduced a bold new direction, exploring intense genetic experimentation, human-alien hybrids, and moral ambiguity - ideas that would later pave the way for films like Alien: Covenant.

We got Ripley back, along with a new android - brought to life by the innocent and lovable Winona Ryder - and a crew of heavily armed outlaws blasting xenomorphs left and right. At times, it almost felt like revisiting the high-octane energy of Aliens (1986). Over time, Alien: Resurrection has actually become one of my favorites in the entire saga, even compared to adjacent entries like Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and the Alien vs. Predator films.

Of course, this comeback came with a cost: Ripley was now presented as a kind of superhuman, a path that, if taken further, could have risked damaging her legacy. Still, the film took an interesting approach by reframing Ripley's motherhood - a theme that was deliberately downplayed in Aliens when her reunion with her daughter was cut. Here, Ripley is not only the reluctant mother of a monster but is also subtly portrayed as an almost maternal figure to Winona Ryder's android character. Considering the time jump and the changes in the storyline, this narrative direction was perhaps the only viable choice - and, surprisingly, it worked.

This sequel has always been like a stone in my shoe - both irritating and impossible to ignore. Alien³ truly managed to undo so much of what the original Alien (1979) and the Aliens (1986) sequel had so brilliantly built. As a huge fan of the saga since the mid-1980s, I still vividly remember the crushing disappointment I felt watching Alien³ for the first time. It left me speechless on the outside but yelling and screaming on the inside.

There's honestly not much to like in it. The prison planet setting, the flat and unlikable characters, and - worst of all - the ending that spoiled every last bit of the saga... none of it worked. The ending, in particular, was unforgivable, forcing future films to awkwardly try to patch up the story in ways that never felt natural. I stayed angry for years - even decades - at how the director could ruin everything like that.

That said, after watching the Alien 40th anniversary specials, countless fan-made films, the newer movies, and even the 20205 television drama, I've realized that Alien³ did leave behind some ideas worth keeping. We've seen the concept of xenomorphs using animals as reproductive vessels, the tense sequences of aliens racing through tunnels from their own perspective, and the suspenseful fast-closing doors that sometimes jam. There are quite a few elements like that, and because of them, I've softened my view a little over time. After all, even this flawed sequel left behind some ideas that helped keep the saga alive.